The amazing per-episode pay of TV's top earners

August 1, 2014 |Zane Sparling

Fans breathed a sigh of relief after news that the stars of TV comedy series "The Big Bang Theory" have ended their holdout negotiations and signed contracts worth roughly $1 million per episode.

Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco have each signed contracts for the next 72 episodes, or roughly three seasons of what analysts call the biggest show on television, which has over 17.5 million viewers per episode on average.

Their new contracts elevate the actors into the pantheon of television earners, commanding some of the highest per-episode salaries in TV since the cast of "Friends" reportedly earned $1 million per show, roughly $1.3 million in today's dollars.

While no news of a production schedule has been released, insiders say CBS will likely start production of season eight of "The Big Bang Theory" soon.

Ever curious how much the stars of the smaller screen rake in per episode? Click through this slideshow for the payroll details on all of TV's biggest celebs.

Fans breathed a sigh of relief after news that the stars of TV comedy series "The Big Bang Theory" have ended their holdout negotiations and signed contracts worth roughly $1 million per episode.

Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco have each signed contracts for the next 72 episodes, or roughly three seasons of what analysts call the biggest show on television, which has over 17.5 million viewers per episode on average.

Their new contracts elevate the actors into the pantheon of television earners, commanding some of the highest per-episode salaries in TV since the cast of "Friends" reportedly earned $1 million per show, roughly $1.3 million in today's dollars.

While no news of a production schedule has been released, insiders say CBS will likely start production of season eight of "The Big Bang Theory" soon.

Ever curious how much the stars of the smaller screen rake in per episode? Click through this slideshow for the payroll details on all of TV's biggest celebs.